Meat Lambs

[WolfeMomma]

This is the ram lamb in question lol This was a month and a half ago, he is bigger now. But i think he looks ok. If someone wanted him for their herd I would even let him go with his papers for a little bit more.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Often putting them in your own freezer is more valuable then selling them outright.

 

[purplequeenvt]

Unless there is some glaring flaw in the animal, my sheep are priced at what I feel I can get as purebred registered breeding stock. If someone wants to eat my sheep, they may do so, but I'm not going to discount an otherwise good breeding animal just to sell for meat.

My registered Border Leicester lambs are priced at $250-300. Non-breeding quality rams are wethered if possible and are usually priced at $150-200.

I couldn't get away with marketing a meat lamb for $300 here when there are a hundred $75 junk lambs to my 1 nice lamb.

 

[WolfeMomma]

Often putting them in your own freezer is more valuable then selling them outright.

Yes, I would usually agree but in this case I already have 2 cows and soon a pig in my freezer. So I dont really need the meat, it would just be a little added bonus. I would rather sell him and put that money towards hay for the winter.

 

[Baymule]

Advertise him as a registered ram for the price you want for him and see if you get any bites on that.

If as a meat lamb, has anybody actually seen him, in comparison to the skinny $150 lambs? On the next caller, you may want to point that out, or put in your ad how healthy and big he is. If unable to sell him either method, what will he bring at auction?

 

[misfitmorgan]

I dunno I just checked Maine craigslist and im not seeing any meat sheep at $300. They all look really nice and not bony at all.

Dorper rams $150, look really nice
Katahdins for $100-150(herd of 6)
Finn lamb $150
Katahdin crosses $150-200

I do see an ad for lamb $350 whole and $150 half, thats processed and ready to drop into your freezer in vacuum sealed bags though....so zero cost for fencing, feed, time, processing, packaging added to the original sale price.

So you may want to re-evaluate or put your lambs in your own freezer from now on.

 

[secuono]

I have to agree with you on that. If lambs go for $300, why are idiots trying to beat you down on price to $150.

A new, unknown seller at a lower price, they're hoping they can wiggle it down further.
Also, people are generally cheapskates. We're all guilty of wanting something for less.



I sold yearlings for a little less than the going price per pound earlier this spring, $200 each. I sell not registered rams for 250, but I knew the buyer and trusted she'd eat them & not scam & resell for more or breed & sell. There are lots of people who do that. I have wool/novelty breed, so I need to worry about the market flooding with junk animals. I'd certainly prefer to drop off at the butcher, though.

 

[Beekissed]

If you can hold him over until he's bigger and then ask that price, you might get a nibble. Especially more towards breeding season. Sometimes a person leaves it too late and then scrambles to get a ram before it's too late. We won't be marketing our breeder ram lambs until October...right now is when everyone is trying to sell lambs and the market gets over saturated.

If we don't get what we want for our rams we'll hold them over until January 1st when they have an annual sheep and goat sale at the sale barn, which attracts a lot of buyers. I took a total scrub ram lamb there last year and was surprised with the price we got from him.

If you have something good for your breed and it's also registered, you could contact local breeder clubs for that breed and see where they are marketing their stock, how much they are getting, etc.

 

[harmonyhillsfarm]

I sell lambs by the hanging weight @ $5/lb including butchering. They average 50# and I pay $50 for processing which gives me $200 for the lamb. I live in an area where lamb meat is not really sought after, but I did sell 6 (which is all I had available) earlier this year.

 

[misfitmorgan]

I sell lambs by the hanging weight @ $5/lb including butchering. They average 50# and I pay $50 for processing which gives me $200 for the lamb. I live in an area where lamb meat is not really sought after, but I did sell 6 (which is all I had available) earlier this year.

Wow your doing good then, we cant even get $1.50/lb here, thats why we sell everything as 8-12 week old lambs. Not worth feeding out when the young lambs are worth $150 off the ewe. Our hang weight also averages 100lbs though.